How to change PHP settings in Plesk Obsidian

What are PHP settings?

PHP is a language that many websites use, such as WordPress. PHP has settings, also called parameters. They set limits like how much memory a script may use, how big an uploaded file can be, and how long a script may run. Plesk Obsidian is a version of the Plesk control panel.

The settings you will meet most often:

Setting	What it does
`memory_limit`	Most memory one script can use
`upload_max_filesize`	Largest file you can upload
`post_max_size`	Largest amount of data sent in one form
`max_execution_time`	Seconds a script may run

Hosting plans can set top limits. If a value will not go higher, ask Hostvento support.

Steps

Log in to Plesk.
Click Websites & Domains.
Find your domain and click PHP Settings.
Check the PHP version at the top. Change it only if you know your site works with the new one.
Scroll to the list of settings. Many have a box or a drop-down list.
Change the value you need. For example, set memory_limit to 256M. The letter M means megabytes.
Scroll to the bottom and click OK. Click Apply if you want to stay on the page.

Add a setting by hand

If a setting is not in the list, look for the box named Additional configuration directives. You can type extra lines there, one per line:

display_errors=off
date.timezone=Asia/Kolkata

These lines turn off error display on the page, and set the time zone. Use only settings you understand. A wrong line can break your site. Take a backup first.

Test your change

Reload your website.
Try the action that failed before, such as a big upload.

Tip: To see the live values, make a file named info.php with <?php phpinfo(); ?> in it. Open it in your browser. Delete the file after you check, because it shows private details.

Need help? Open a support ticket.

Quick recap

PHP settings set limits for your PHP scripts.
Change them in PHP Settings under your domain.
Use the extra directives box for settings not in the list.
Back up first, test after, and delete info.php when done.